In January 2016, the Indian education department asked each primary school teacher in the country to become a member of a WhatsApp group of 100 members each.

The Indian government believes this is the best way to inform all teachers about new policies teaching techniques to teachers, especially those in remote areas.

The 100-member groups will form in each administrative centre, or taluka, and will be answerable to the group education officer of respective districts.

These officers will then compile information about each group and submit it to state headquarters. Systems will also be put into place to ensure that there is sharing of information between various groups across India. “Rather than
waiting for days for government circulars to reach schools, we
can provide such information directly to teachers through
WhatsApp,” said the director of primary education,
Mahavir Mane.

Mane has stated that joining the WhatsApp groups was not mandatory. “We are not expecting every teacher in the state to join. Those who do not have phones can’t do so. However, the idea is that even if one school teacher from a particular place joins, he can then pass on the information to other members of his school,” he said.

“It is a good initiative by the state. It will help teachers to be linked with policymakers,” said Ilhajuddin Farooqui, Maharashtra, state president of the All India Urdu Teachers’ Association.